Bruce Arians ‘Really, Really Proud’ of Buccaneers Running Back Leonard Fournette

Leonard Fournette had one of the best debut seasons for a rookie running back 3 years ago with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He finished his rookie year with 1,040 rushing yards, 9 rushing touchdowns along with 302 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown as the Jags lost in the AFC Championship game to the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots.

But after 2 controversial seasons with the AFC South franchise, Fournette was waived off in August. He was quickly snapped up by the Bruce Arians-coached Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the start of the 2020 season. It’s safe to say that the deal has worked out for both parties involved.

Fournette had a quiet regular season but has grabbed headlines all throughout the ongoing NFL Playoffs. He has 211 rushing yards with 2 rushing TDs in the 2020 post-season. Fournette also has 100+ receiving yards and 1 receiving touchdown.

He impressed in the NFC Championship win as the Bucs sealed a spot in this year’s Super Bowl alongside defending champions, Kansas City Chiefs. Coach Bruce Arians could not be more pleased with his star running back.

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Leonard Fournette continues to flourish in the NFL post-season

Bruce Arians had words of praise reserved for former Jacksonville Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette.

He said, “It’s very, very hard when you’re a superstar and you’re the focal point of the offense and you come to a [different] team and you’re basically a role player for a while. It’s a very hard role to accept.

“I just told him, ‘This team is special and you’re a huge part of it. Embrace your role – you never know when your role is going to change.’

“Then, Ro got hurt. He got COVID and then he got hurt. I’m really, really proud of Leonard and the way he’s handled it,” Arians said via the team’s official website.

Meanwhile, Fournette also reiterated the same sentiment as he said, “He asked me during the duration of the season, ‘What do I want to be?’

“Don’t get me wrong, I was upset plenty of times after the game when I wasn’t getting the ball or anything. He just sat down and had a real talk with me, and I just had to get my mind right.”

Fournette and Co. will their toughest challenge of the season in the form of the Chiefs on February 7th, 2020. Let’s see if he can carry his superb playoff form into the Super Bowl, that too in front of home fans. Game on, Pirates!

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